Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast Podcast By For People Leaders Leading Bold Conversations | Ivna Curi cover art

Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast

Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast

By: For People Leaders Leading Bold Conversations | Ivna Curi
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About this listen

 Speak Your Mind Unapologetically is the leadership communication podcast for people leaders — managers, directors, and VPs — who want to speak up, lead bold conversations, and influence outcomes that matter. Whether you're addressing conflict, delivering feedback, leading meetings, or navigating difficult conversations, this podcast gives you practical strategies to: 👉🏼 Communicate with clarity, confidence, and conviction= 👉🏼 Influence decisions and build trust across functions 👉🏼 Speak up under pressure — without sounding aggressive or backing down 👉🏼 Encourage your team to share ideas, concerns, and feedback 👉🏼 Tackle conflict, disagreement, and misalignment early and effectively You’ll hear insights, frameworks, and stories from real workplaces — all designed to help you grow your leadership impact through communication. 🎙 With 400+ episodes, the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast is trusted by people leaders across Fortune 500s, healthcare, tech, startups, and global organizations. ABOUT THE HOST Ivna Curi is a Fortune 500 speaker, TEDx speaker, and host of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast. She's a Forbes contributor, author of Unapologetic Voice, and founder of the Assertive Way Institute. A former corporate leader with an MBA from INSEAD and over 20,000 leaders trained, Ivna brings global experience and real-world strategies that help leaders drive results through bold communication. ABOUT THE COMPANY Assertive Way Institute helps organizations empower people leaders to lead bold conversations, influence outcomes, and build courageous speak-up cultures. Our workshops and talks help people leaders become confident, clear communicators — and turn workplace communication into a competitive advantage. Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • How to Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret at Work (with Sandra Dorsey)

    How to Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret at Work (with Sandra Dorsey)
    Jun 30 2025
    What’s the worst career advice you’ve received? Cybersecurity GRC Risk Manager Sandra Dorsey discusses her worst career advice and how she learned the importance of self-promotion, negotiating for oneself, dealing with confusing feedback, and advocating for others in the corporate world. Sandra shares her journey from following advice to 'keep her head down' to realizing the need for visibility and networking. She shares how she learned to value vocalizing your achievements, understanding feedback, and evolving your communication style. 01:03 Great Work Doesn’t Speak For Itself 01:40 Heads Down to Visibility and Networking 05:47 Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion and Posting on LinkedIn 12:25 Negotiating for Yourself in the Workplace, Even If You Fail 19:09 What to Do When You Receive Confusing Feedback 25:02 Proactively Seeking Constructive Feedback 26:58 Advocating for Others 31:44 Bold Career Moves 39:57 Encouraging Team Communication ✅ Free Newsletter: https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/ ✅ About Sandra Dorsey Sandra is a Cybersecurity Risk Professional with 15+ years of experience at the intersection of governance, risk, and compliance — protecting what matters, while building teams and trust along the way. From navigating the complexities of third-party risk to leading cross-functional cyber assessments in government contracting environments, she translates security into strategy and compliance into confidence. Sandra is a current Woman of Impact committee member with Girls Inc. of Greater Washington, DC and a board member with The Champs Champ where she supports STEM education for both organizations. Cybersecurity and outreach are very important to Sandra, but what she loves the most is spending time with her teenage and adult children. As a family, they spend time hiking, kayaking, roller skating, and keeping active. linkedin.com/in/sandradorsey ✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?': https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader ✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915 ✅ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2 ✅ Order our book, ‘Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership’ where each strategy is also a real story: https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/ ✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/ ✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company: http://assertiveway.com/workshops Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2 ✅ Support The Podcast Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915
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    48 mins
  • Want to Be a Better Ally — And Find Allies Too? Start Here (with Wendi O'Neill)

    Want to Be a Better Ally — And Find Allies Too? Start Here (with Wendi O'Neill)
    Jun 23 2025

    In this episode, we delve into the critical role of allyship in the workplace with Wendy O'Neill, Head of Business Development at CDW, who shares her personal experiences and practical strategies for becoming a better ally.

    Wendy discusses how to recognize and support colleagues whose voices are often unheard, how to foster allyship within a team, and the powerful impact of situational awareness in meetings. She also talks about leading by example, addressing unconscious biases, and building relationships with allies who are different from us. The episode concludes with actionable tips for advocating for oneself and others, creating an inclusive and high-performing team culture.

    01:27 The Power of Allyship in Building Confidence and Careers

    08:43 How to Be A Great Ally (Practical Tips)

    10:52 The Best Way To Support Overlooked Voices In Meetings

    17:49 The Right Way to Ask An Ally For Support in Meetings

    19:49 The Secret to Transform Conflict into Allyship

    25:11 Tips to Encourage Your Team to Speak Up

    27:51 How to Create a Culture of Allyship in Your Team and Company

    37:45 Final Thoughts on Allyship

    ✅ About Wendi O'Neill

    Wendi O’Neill is the Head of Business Development for CDW’s Digital Velocity (DV) division, where she leads high-performing teams focused on helping organizations navigate digital transformation through modern technology practices. Wendi holds a Master’s degree in Leadership and Innovation from the University of Queensland and serves as Vice Chair of CDW’s Women’s Opportunity Network. A champion for mentorship and strong leadership representation, Wendi is committed to fostering the next generation of changemakers in tech.

    ✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?': https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader

    ✅ Free Newsletter: https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

    ✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915

    ✅ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

    ✅ Order our book, ‘Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership’ where each strategy is also a real story:

    https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

    ✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/

    ✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company: http://assertiveway.com/workshops

    Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

    Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

    ✅ Support The Podcast

    Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915
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    40 mins
  • 12 Polite Phrases That Destroy Trust and Connection (And What To Say Instead)

    12 Polite Phrases That Destroy Trust and Connection (And What To Say Instead)
    Jun 16 2025
    "With all due respect..." "I understand how you feel." "That's an interesting idea" "Noted." Sometimes the nicest words can feel dismissive and silence people. Find out small changes you can make for people to feel heard and encouraged to speak up. 00:00 Introduction: Polite Phrases That Destroy Trust 05:11 Phrase 1: 'I Understand How You Feel' 07:39 Phrase 2: 'I'll Take That Into Consideration' 09:56 Phrase 3: 'With All Due Respect' 11:21 Phrase 4: 'Devil's Advocate' 12:59 Phrase 5: 'Noted' 14:16 Phrase 6: 'Thanks for Your Input' 15:36 Phrase 7: 'That's an Interesting Idea' 17:12 Phrase 8: 'Let's Agree to Disagree' 18:40 Phrase 9: 'Let's Circle Back on This' 19:26 Phrase 10: 'This is Company Policy' 20:42 Phrase 11 and 12: 'No Offense, But' 'I don't want to be Difficult, But' 23:37 Addressing Common Concerns and Questions 34:32 Conclusion: Choose Better Words to Build Trust ✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?': https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader ✅ Free Newsletter: https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/ ✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915 ✅ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2 ✅ Order our book, ‘Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership’ where each strategy is also a real story: https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/ ✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/ ✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company: http://assertiveway.com/workshops Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2 ✅ Support The Podcast Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
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